Unit 1 Flashcards
Epiteichismos
the tactic of building a fort on enemy territory.
Used by Athens at Pylos and Cythera
Used by Sparta at Decelea
In what year was Mardonius’ expedition?
492BC
Who was Mardonius?
Persian expedition leader, son-in-law of King Darius
Where did Mardonius establish Persian rule in 492BC?
Macedonia, Thrace and Thasos (and other Greek islands)
Why did Mardonius go home in 492BC?
his fleet was damaged off Mt Athos in a storm
When was the first Persian invasion launched?
490BC
When did Persia send heralds to most Greek states?
491BC
What represented surrender to the Persians?
tokens of earth and water
How big was the second Persian expedition? (according to Herodotus)
600 ships and 20-30,000 men
What island tried to resist the Persians in 499BC?
Naxos
In what year was the Battle of Marathon?
490BC
How far from Athens is Marathon?
26 miles
How many Greeks faced the Persians at Marathon 490BC?
around 10,000 Athenian and Plataean hoplites
How many Persians fought at Marathon in 490BC?
20-25,000
Why were the Spartans late to Marathon in 490BC?
They didn’t fight during their religious festival, the Karneia, so waited until after the full moon
What casualties did Herodotus say occurred at Marathon?
6,400 Persian and 192 Greek
What tactic did the outnumbered Greeks use at Marathon 490BC?
They formed a line which was thin in the middle, charged the enemy then flanked them on both sides
What research methods did Herodotus use?
Oral, Literary, Epigraphic and Archaeological
Who encouraged the building of the Athenian navy in the 480sBC?
Themistocles
What size did Herodotus say the 3rd Persian force was? (in the 480sBC)
1 million men, over 1200 triremes
What size was the Persian force realistically in the 480sBC?
<100,000 men and <600 ships
What was the Persian strategy of invasion?
to move the fleet and army together
Where and when did the Greek congress meet?
At the Isthmus of Corinth, in 481BC
What is Greek anti-Persian alliance known as?
The Hellenic League
What 3 decisions were made at the first meeting of the Hellenic League?
- end all conflict between allies
- send spies to find out about Persian activity
- try to recruit more Greek states
In what year did Darius die?
486BC
What were some of Xerxes’ motivations to invade Greece? (4)
Revenge for Aristagoras’ temple burning (at Sardis, during the Ionian revolt)
Living up to his father
Opportunity to expand his empire
Advice from Mardonius and oracles
In what order were the 4 main Greek/ Persian wars?
Thermopylae 480BC
Salamis 480BC
Plataea 479BC
Mycale 479BC
What was the first naval battle of the Persian Wars? (480BC)
the Battle of Artemisium
How many Greek triremes fought the Persian fleet outside Thermopylae?
271
How many Greeks fought at Thermopylae at first?
7000
How many Persians arrived at Thermopylae?
70-100,000
What were the different opinions of strategy in the Hellenic League before Thermopylae?
Those living in the Peloponnese wished to fight there given that the Isthmus is only 4 miles wide.
Those who live outside the Peloponnese are opposed - they didn’t want to abandon their cities
How many Spartans fought with Leonidas? How many Boetians remained also?
300 Spartans
1100 Boeotians total
Who won the battle of Thermopylae?
The Persians
When was the Battle of Salamis?
September 480BC
What was the disagreement before Salamis?
The Athenians wished to fight whilst the Corinthians (represented by Adeimanthus) wanted to move back into the Peloponnese. Themistocles threatened to leave Greece therefore remove athen’s naval power from the league
When did the Persians capture and burn Athens?
480BC
What happened at Salamis in 480BC?
the Persians were lured into the straits between Attica and the island of Salamis and were defeated at sea.
Who did Xerxes leave in charge after Salamis?
Mardonius
When was the Battle of Plataea?
spring 479BC
What did the Athenians hope the Peloponnesians would do in 479BC
March out to attack the Persians wintering in Northern Greece and lure them out into Boeotia
Who led the Greeks at Plataea in 479BC?
Spartan Commander Pausanias (nephew of Leonidas)
What group does Herodotus credit with the Greek victory at Plataea?
the Spartan hoplites
What Mountain did the Greeks occupy at the start of the battle of Plataea in 479BC?
Mt. Cithaeron
What did the Persian cavalry destroy in the Battle of Plataea causing the Greeks to retreat?
the Greek supplies
When did Mardonius attack the Greeks at Plataea in 479BC?
When they were trying to retreat at night
In what battle did Mardonius die?
The Battle of Plataea 479BC
Who won the battle of Plataea 479BC?
the Greeks
When was the battle of Mycale?
479BC
What happened at the battle of Mycale?
the Greeks attacked the Persians who had beached at Cape Mycale.
What group did the Greeks encourage to revolt at Mycale 479BC? And did they revolt?
the Ionians and yes they burnt the Persian ships and abandoned them
Who led the Greek fleet at Mycale 479BC?
Spartan King Leotichydes
What states joined the Hellenic League after Mycale 479BC?
Samos, Chios and Lesbos (The Ionians)
What did Sparta and Athens disagree over after the battle of Mycale 479BC?
Whether to let the Ionians join the league
Who won the battle of Mycale 479BC?
the Greeks
Examples of states that medised?(3)
Thessaly, Thebes, Aegina
Example a of state which stayed neutral against Persia?
Argos
When did Diodorus write his history of Greece?
60-30BC
In what century did Plutarch write?
the first century AD
When did Thucydides live?
c.460 - c.400 BC. He was made General at Athens in 424BC and was exiled then too.
Who stayed on after the battle of Mycale and began a siege of Sestos?
The Athenians and their allies from Ionia and the Hellespont
What was one cause of tension between Athens and Sparta in the 470sBC?
Athens rebuilding and extending their walls to the Piraeus. Sparta had sent an embassy beforehand expressing concern from their allies as to Athens’ growing power, but didn’t openly oppose the walls once built.
Historians in debate of ‘ the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC ‘ ?
Buckley
Hornblower
Powell
Buckley’s view on the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC?
- Spartans to blame
- Spartans exaggerated the effect of the Megarian decree as an excuse
- ’ on the basis that no sensible power deliberately provokes a defensive war… the Spartans should be blamed for the outbreak of the war’
Hornblower’s view of the causes of the Peloponnesian war in 431BC?
- ’ Corinthian unease at Athenian expansion… was important in bringing about the Peloponnesian War’
- Buckley places Hornblower into the school of thought that ‘Athenians should be blamed due to their relentless military expansion’ etc.
Powell’s view on the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC?
- blames Spartans
- ‘a pattern of opportunistic Spartan strategy’
- ‘Sparta’s aggression towards Athens was both more profound and more intelligently applied than has usually been realised’
When was the first Peloponnesian War?
461-446BC
When was the Archidamian war?
431-421BC
When was the 15 years of ‘peace’?
446-431BC
Why did Pausanias cause tension between Athens and Sparta in the 470sBC?
He was apparently very arrogant and dictatorial towards the Hellenic League and so was replaced by Aristides in leading the force against Persia.
When was the Peloponnesian League established?
in the late 6th century BC (504BC)
When was the Delian League established?
477BC
What man dissuaded the Spartans from attacking the Athenians at sea in the 470sBC? (according to Diodorus)
Hetoemaridas
Name 4 major cities of the Delian League when it was first established?
Samos, Chios, Naxos and Miletus
Who initially commanded the Delian League?
Cimon
What were 3 places where the Delian League took actions against the Persian Empire after the 480sBC?
Eion, Eurymedon and Scyros
What were the areas of the Peloponnese which was subject to Sparta?
Messenia and Lakonia
Who were Helots?
Those with no political rights forced to work for Spartans, namely the Messenians and Lakonians
When was there a bad earthquake in Sparta?
465/4BC
What event was triggered by the Spartan earthquake in 465/4BC?
The Helots revolted
What was the Mt Ithome affair?
Sparta had called for help from Athens after the earthquake/ revolt yet the Athenian forced who arrived were turned away as it was thought they were going to encourage the helots on Mt Ithome to revolt.
After being turned away by Sparta, what action did Athens take towards the Helots?
They helped resettle them outside the Peloponnese
In what year did Athens ally with Argos and Thessaly? (and denounce their alliance with Sparta)
461BC
In what year did Athens ally with Megara?
460BC
Why did Megara leave the Peloponnesian League?
Corinth had attacked them and Sparta was unable/ unwilling to help. Megara therefore appealed to help from Athens and changed alliances.
In what year was the Battle of Tanagra?
457BC
What happened at the Battle of Tanagra?
Athens, Argos and Delian allies were defeated in a land battle in Boeotia against Sparta and her allies.
When did Athens take control of Boetia and ally with Phocis?
457BC - not long after they had lost in this region at the battle of Tanagra
When was the Battle of Coroneia?
448BC
When was a 5 year truce decided during the 1st Peloponnesian War?
452BC
What happened at the Battle of Coroneia?
Athens and her allies were defeated by the Boetians
When did the Boetians revolt against Athens in the 1st Peloponnesian War?
448BC
When did Sparta invade Attica for the first time?
446BC
When was the 30 years peace agreed?
446BC
How long did the 30 year peace last?
15 years
When did the Athenians invade Egypt and when were they defeated by the Persians?
460BC they sent a force to support an Egyptian revolt, then in 454BC the Persians sent a response and defeated the Athenians.
In what year did Athens and Persia cease hostilities? (the peace of Callias)
449BC
When did Megara revolt against Athens?
446BC
When did Euboea revolt?
446BC
What did the Megarans take advantage of to revolt?
The Athenians had sailed out to deal with the Euboean revolt and were distracted?
Did Megara’s revolt of 446BC succeed?
yes
Did Euboea’s revolt of 446BC succeed?
no
What state aided Megara in her revolt?
Corinth
What were 3 terms of the 30 year peace?
Both Leagues declared legitimate
Neutral states could join either side
Conflict would not happen if at least 1 side wished to arbitrate
In what year was the revolt of Samos?
440BC
What state was Samos in dispute with?
What city were they disputing.
Miletus.
Priene.
Were Samos and Miletus Athenian allies?
yes
Who did the Milesians call for help against Samos from? Why was Athens motivated to help?
Athens
Samos was the more powerful state and one of only 3 ship-building states left in the Athenian empire
Athens established a democracy in Samos. What else did they do?
Left a garrison behind
How long did fighting at Samos go on for until the Samians surrendered and agreed to pay tribute to Athens?
9 months
Who overthrew the Athenian garrison and new democracy on Samos in 440BC?
Samian oligarchs with the help of a Persian satrap
What state had Samos appealed to help from during the war? Why had they not helped?
The Samians appealed to Sparta. The Corinthians didn’t want war against Athens and prevented Sparta from helping.
In what year did the dispute over Corcyra take place?
433BC
Epidamnus went to what state for help against Corcyra?
Corinth (Corcyra was a Corinthian colony)
Why did the Corinthians want war with Athens after 433BC?
the Athenians had used their navy to defend Corcyra against Corinth, and allied with Corcyra.
When was the dispute over Potidaea?
432BC
What triggered the dispute over Potidaea?
Athens ordered Potidaea (a member of the Delian League) to tear down its defensive walls
What did the Spartans promise the Potidaean embassy in 432BC?
They promised to invade Attica if they revolted, Sparta never followed this through however
What state sent an army to help Potidaea in 432BC?
Corinth
(disguised as 2000 ‘volunteers’)
What was the Megarian Decree?
The Megarian decree banned Megara from using any Athenian ports or trading with the Athenian Empire.
What does Thucydides say about the Megarian decree?
That war could have been avoided if Athens revoked this decree.
When was the Corinthian speech/ complaint?
432BC
What was said in the Corinthian speech?
The Corinthians were upset with Sparta’s lack of action in support of her allies.
Megara and Aegina supported Corinth in encouraging Sparta to go to war.
What is Thucydides’ view of the reason for war?
Thucydides believes that Sparta was afraid of Athenian strength
What 3 reasons does Athens give for not surrendering her Empire?
Honour
Security
Self-interest
In what year did Pericles die?
429BC
What was Sparta’s strategy in the Archidamian War?
- scorched earth in Attica
- draw the Athenians out for a land battle
- encourage/ support the revolt of Athenian subjects
What was the Athenian strategy in the Archidamian War?
- don’t feed into Sparta’s strategy
- keep tight control of subjects
- maintain wealth/ resources
In what years was there plague at Athens?
430-427BC
When did the Spartans invade Attica in the Archidamian War?
431BC, 430BC
What percentage of the Athenian population may have died to the plague?
up to 1/3rd
Why did the Athenian fleet sail to attack the Peloponnese in 431BC?
Because the Peloponnesians had ravaged Attica
In what year was the revolt of Lesbos/ Mytilean debate?
428/7BC
In what year were 120 Spartans captured at Sphacteria?
425BC
In what year did Brasidas begin his advance through Thrace?
424BC
In what year was a one year truce agreed? (during the Archidamian War)
423BC
In what year was the Battle of Amphipolis?
422BC
Who won the battle of Amphipolis?
Sparta
Which two famous men died at the battle of Amphipolis?
Cleon and Brasidas
In what year was the peace of Nicias agreed?
421BC
How did the Athenians respond to the revolt at Lesbos at first?
The Athenian navy besieged Lesbos
What did the Athenian Assembly vote to do to the Lesbians in 427BC?
To kill all men and enslave all women and children
Historians on the debate for ‘ the reasons for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War’ ?
Buckley
Hornblower
Hornblower’s view on reasons for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War?
- not having Alcibiades or the generals from Arginusae meant Athens could now ‘hardly fail’ to lose the war
- ‘it was not Aegospotomai, but the severing of the corn supply which ended the war’
Buckley’s view on the reasons for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War?
- ‘Cyrus’ wholehearted support of the Spartans… proved to be the decisive factor’
- blames Sicilian expedition for failure and blames Alcibiades for the failure of the Sicilian expedition
How soon after their first vote did the Athenians change their attitude towards Lesbos?
the next day
What did the Athenians decide was the fairest response at Lesbos in the end?
To punish only the Mytilenians who could be proved to be involved in the revolt
In what year did Sparta and her allies invade Plataea?
429BC
In what year did Sparta and her allies destroy Plataea? How long had it been since they first invaded?
427BC after 2 years
What island did the Athenians land on and fortify in 425BC?
Pylos
Who led the second Athenian fleet that surrounded Sphacteria and captured the Spartans there?
Cleon
What was the Spartans’ immediate reaction to the capture of 120 spartiates at Sphacteria?
They panicked and asked for peace - which the Athenians rejected
What leverage did the captured Spartans give the Athenians?
It meant that Sparta couldn’t raid Attica without risking the hostages. It also damaged Sparta’s reputation of fighting to the death/ always winning land battles.
Why was Thrace an important region for Athens?
It provided revenue through trade and provided timber which maintained the Athenian fleet
What did Brasidas’ actions in Thrace lead to?
A one year truce being agreed to in 423BC
During the one year truce, did Brasidas cease his actions in Thrace?
No
What city did Brasidas encourage to revolt, leading to a battle in 422BC?
Amphipolis
What was each sides main reason to look towards Peace in 421BC?
Athens - losing confidence (and resources)
Sparta - damaged reputation, fear of Helot revolt, peace with Argos about to expire
Both - had lost leaders at Amphipolis
Who is the peace of 421BC named after?
Athenian General Nicias
What were the main terms of the Peace of Nicias? (5)
1 - to last 50 years
2 - everyone could go to pan-Hellenic temples
3 - no conflict between any state or allies, arbitration only
4 - Sparta to return captured cities in Thrace, Amphipolis and Panactum too
5 - Athens to return hostages and Peloponnese islands
What were the various allies responses in the aftermath of the Peace of Nicias 421BC? (2 immediate responses)
- Spartan allies refused to cooperate (Thebes, Megara, Corinth)
- Athenian subjects refused to re-join the Athenian Empire
What cities did Argos make alliances with in 420BC? (4 total)
Corinth, Elis and Mantinea
Athens
When was the battle of Mantinea?
418BC
Who won the battle of Mantinea 418BC?
Sparta
Who did Argos begin a war with in 419BC? (a Spartan ally)
Epidaurus
Who returned allegiance to Sparta after briefly allying with Argos in 420BC?
Corinth
In what year did Athens re-occupy Pylos?
416BC
What neutral island did Athens force to submission after the battle of Mantinea?
Melos
What was the consequence of the battle of Mantinea for Argos?
they were forced into another 50 year peace treaty with Sparta
What Sicilian city requested help from Athens?
Egesta
What did Egesta offer to pay Athens for her military support?
60 talents
When did the Athenians sail for Sicily?
415BC
What were some reasons for Athens to undertake the Sicilian expedition of 415-413BC?
- saw it as easy money
- opportunity to surround Sparta
- opportunity to expand Empire and prevent Syracuse from gaining control of Sicily
What were the names of the 3 Generals leading the Sicilian expedition in 415BC?
Alcibiades, Nicias and Lamachus
Sum up Alcibiades continued involvement in the end of the Peloponnesian War?
- came up with the plan of attack in Sicily
- avoided standing trial at Athens and fled to Sparta
- convinced Sparta to renew the war and intervene in Sicily + fortify decelea
- convinced Persia to weaken both sides of the war for their own gain - rather than support Sparta (debateable if it worked)
- advised the Athenians at Aegospotami but was ignored
Where in Sicily did the Athenians settle after their initial attack of Syracuse in 415BC?
the city of Catana
When did the Athenians attack Syracuse, gain the high ground and begin building walls around the city?
spring 414BC
What was the area of land above Syracuse which the Athenians occupied in spring 414BC called?
Epipolae
Why was Nicias left as sole commander in Sicily?
Lamachus died during a small battle in 414BC and Alcibiades was away in Sparta
What was the name of the Spartan General who arrived in Sicily in 414BC?
Gylippus
Who was sent to Sicily with 73 ships and 5000 hoplites?
Demosthenes
What happened to the Athenians who were defeated in Sicily?
the Syracusans executed Nicias
the hoplites were captured and starved, survivors sold as slaves
What year did the Spartans occupy Decelea?
413BC
How far from Athens is Decelea?
13 miles
In what year did Euboea, Chios and Thasos all successfully revolt from Athens?
412BC
When was there an oligarchic coup of 400 men at Athens?
411BC
What year does Thucydides writing end? What sources do we use from then on?
Thucydides stopped writing in 411BC
Xenophon, Plutarch and Diodorus cover the end of the Peloponnesian war.
In what year did Sparta make an alliance with Persia against Athens?
412BC
Who made an agreement with Tissaphernes not to interfere on the Spartan side too much?
Athenian Alcibiades
In what year did Cyrus arrive to help the Spartans?
408BC
Why were the Spartans frustrated by the Persian alliance before 408BC?
Alcibiades had encouraged Tissapherenes to make Persian help be sporadic - eg. they were late sending money and a fleet
Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus seemed to be in competition so their policies were divisive
For what year did Lysander serve as Spartan Admiral for?
408-407BC
Why did the Persians withdraw their help in 407BC?
The new Spartan Admiral Callicratides wasn’t close with Cyrus and didn’t want to engage with Persia (as Lysander had been). Lysander gave his extra money back to Cyrus instead of to the fleet
In what year was the battle of Arginusae?
406BC
Who won the battle of Arginusae?
the Athenians
How many ships did each side have at the battle of Arginusae 406BC?
Athens - 150
Sparta - 120
How many ships did the Spartans lose at Arginusae 406BC?
77 ships
Callicratides died too
Why had the Athenians not collected their dead after Arginusae?
there was a storm
Who became Spartan vice-Admiral in 405BC after Callicratides death?
Lysander
(he was vice-Admiral as it was not allowed to serve as Admiral more than once but he was in charge)
In what year did the Persians resume their support for Sparta?
In 405BC (when Lysander came back)
In what year was the battle of Aegospotami?
405BC
Who won the battle of Aegospotami?
the Spartans
How many Athenian ships were captured at Aegospotami 405BC?
170 (out of 180)
What did the Athenians lose control of due to their failure at Aegospotami?
Their supply routes
(Athens had to develop new supply routes after revolts from their subjects, and were importing most food)
In what year did the Athenians surrender to the Spartans?
404BC
What terms did the Athenians agree to in 404BC?
- a very small fleet going forward
- tear down walls
- stripped of empire
Which two Greek cities had sent ships to help the Ionian revolt and were therefore the ‘professed object’ (Herodotus) of the expedition in 492BC?
Eretria
Athens
In what years was the Ionian Revolt?
499-494BC
What were the first two targets of the Persians in 490BC?
Naxos
Eretria
What were the tribute quota lists?
Inscriptions in Athens every year after 454BC (when the treasury was moved to Athens) listing the tribute of each city - and dedicating 1/60 of the contributions to Athena.
First 15 lists are on the First Stele.
When was the Serpent Column erected? Where? What did it say?
The Serpent column was originally erected at Delphi in 478BC. It is a dedication of thanks to the gods by the states who fought the Persians at Plataea in 479BC.
Who led the Hellenic League’s fleet at Salamis?
Spartan commander Eurybiades
When was the battle of Eurymedon?
The early 460s BC
What happened at the Battle of Eurymedon in the early 460sBC?
The Delian League forces defeated the Persians on the coast of Southern Asia Minor. This battle was combined land and sea.
What was the first battle of the first Peloponnesian War?
The Battle of Tanagra in 457BC
What source denounces the Peace of Callias as a forgery?
The Harpokration, s.v. Attikois grammasin
This is a comment written by Harpokration on a history of Theopompus in the 4th century BC. Theopompus believed the Peace of Callias to be a forgery made up by the Athenians as the dialect was wrong. Thucydides also does not mention the peace yet it is contested as hostilities did cease at this time
What was the Chalcis decree?
Written in about 446, this decree was passed by the Athenian assembly and illustrates that the Athenians now required its allies to obey their commands. ‘I will obey the Athenian people’
Which Spartan advised against war? Which made a speech in favour?
King Archidamus II advised against quick moves
Ephor Sthenelaidas argued patriotically in favour of war
What is the name for how the Peloponnesian League voted?
Bi-cameral
First the Spartans voted and this took half of the vote - if the Spartans had voted for or against war it would go to the league who would make the final decision.
In what year was the possible ‘peace of Epilycus’ thought to have been agreed between Persia and Athens? What were 2 reasons for this and when did it seem to end?
in 424BC
Darius II had just been appointed not a strong leader yet
Athens wanted to maintain grain supply from around the Black Sea (Bosporan kingdom)
In 413BC Darius II was more secure and sided with Sparta (wanted to gain more control of Ionians/ Aegean)
What two building projects did the Persians undertake to prepare to invade Greece in the 480sBC?
- building a canal across the Mt Athos promontory
- bridging the Hellespont
3 historians for prescribed debate:
‘ reasons for the victory over the Persians in 480-479BC ‘
Cawkwell
Lazenby
Hammond
Cawkwell’s view of reasons for victory over the Persians
- superiority of Greek hoplite at Plataea
- bad tactics of Mardonius at Plataea
- lack of naval strategy for Persians
Hammond’s view of reasons for victory over the Persians
the courage of free men pitted against an oriental despotism
Lazenby’s view of reasons for victory over the Persians
- united resistance of the Greeks
- Mardonius not playing to his strengths (cavalry and bows)
- Greek hoplite not necessarily better just different
- even less likely that the Greeks were superior in skill at sea
- disagrees with Hammond that it was Greek’s courage
3 historians on debate ‘the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC’?
Buckley
Hornblower
Powell
Buckley on the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC?
“on the basis that no sensible power deliberately provokes a defensive war but rather is forced into war to defend itself, the Spartans should be blamed for the outbreak of war”
- Spartans exaggerated the effect of the Megarian decree as an excuse for war
- “The Spartans were prepared to ignore arbitration and the terms of the treaty because they felt so confident of a quick and easy victory”
Hornblower on the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC?
Thinks Athenians should be blamed due to their military expansion, provoking Spartan allies and the military weakness of Sparta in the 430sBC
“Corinthian unease at Athenian expansion…was important in bringing about the Peloponnesian War”
Powell on the causes of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC?
“a pattern of opportunistic Spartan strategy”
“Sparta’s aggression towards Athens was both more profound and more intelligently applied than has usually been realised”
Historians on the reason for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War?
Buckley
Hanson
Hornblower
Buckley on the reason for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War?
- “Cyrus’ wholehearted support of the Spartans… proved to be the decisive factor in helping the Spartans defeat the Athenians in the Ionian War”
- calls the Sicilian expedition “ill-conceived” and blames Alcibiades for it, he counts the Sicilian expedition as a major reason for failure
Hanson on the reasons for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War?
“hunger and revolution at last prompted Athens to seek terms”
“without Persia’s vast capital… Sparta could never have prosecuted the Ionian War”
twofold reasons for failure:
- stretched too thin
- invading Sicily
Hornblower on the reasons for Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War?
“deprived of Alcibiades’ services… and of the victors of Arginusae… the Athenians, who between 410 and 406BC had looked like winning the war after all, could now hardly fail to lost it”
- “it was not Aegospotamoi, but the severing of the corn supply which ended the war”
Reason for Aegina to medise?
long term conflict/ dislike of Athenians
Thucydides trap idea for reason for war?
A smaller state that is rising/ challenging a more dominant state (Sparta) will always eventually come into conflict - therefore war is inevitable
Who does Herodotus blame (though not directly) for the Peloponnesian War?
Athens - their eagerness to fight in the Ionian revolt, against Persia and just in general
When did Thebes medise?
After Thermopylae
